Greek Chilli Con Carne & Sweet Potato Meringue Pie

Main: Greek Chilli Con Carne with Whipped Feta
Taste Magazine August 2020

Dessert: Sweet Potato Meringue Pie
Taste Magazine August 2020

Another lamb dish packed full of taste!!

Hi Everyone,

When I was browsing through the August Taste Magazine I found these two wonderful recipes that take the old traditional dishes we know and love and do something different and wonderful with them.

The Chilli Con Carne is yet another beautiful slow cook recipe. The added flavours of dill, oregano, lemon, coriander and red wine create a smell throughout the house that will have you salivating until dinner time. The added oomph of a can of butter beans not only adds fibre to this dish but bulks it out and makes it very economical for a large family. I would definitely reduce the number of chillies used next time. Six is a lot even without the seeds in but, of course, it is personal taste. Creamy whipped feta and yoghurt top it off with a sprig of mint.

What the family loved was being able to spoon this onto the pita bread and make a bit of a mess in the process.

When you toast your pita bread just give it a light oil beforehand and don’t over do it so that the bread remains soft. This dish is very much a heart warming family experience and I will definitely do it again. 9/10

What a wonderful surprise this dessert was! I use to love my Grandmas pumpkin pie so I’m attracted to recipes that may be a twist on that old fashioned flavour. Sweet potato – so good for you and the flavour is wonderful mashed or baked so I was thinking to myself that topped with meringue may be a new experience.

It was nostalgic to say the least. The flavour is not intense (like not an intense veggie flavour). It’s light and very moreish. I’ve never cooked “Italian meringue” before but I really enjoyed the texture of it and will use it again on other pies.

When you cut into it the meringue is soft and super high, in fact you can barely see the filling until you start eating it. Using the kitchen blow torch is almost an art form – I got a bit carried away with it but it looked great. I was nervous that the MAV would be horrified that he was eating veg for dessert but he actually loved it. Bonus! 8/10 all round.

Please try these two recipes, you won’t be disappointed. Taste magazine has done it again!

Until next week,

From my table to yours with love x

Greek Chilli Con Carne with Whipped Feta

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1.5 kg boneless lamb shoulder (excess fat trimmed, cut into 4cm pieces)
1 brown onion (finely chopped)
3 fresh dill sprigs (stems finely chopped, fronds reserved)
4 anchovies (drained)
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 tbsp dried oregano leaves
2 tsp ground coriander
60 ml red wine vinegar
500 ml beef stock
400 g can diced tomatoes
70 g tomato paste
6 long fresh chillies (halved lengthways, deseeded)
1 sprig fresh bay leaves
1 tbsp honey
1 lemon (remove 2 strips of rind then cut into wedges)
400 g can butter beans (rinsed, drained)
145 g pitted black olives
4 large pita bread (split, each disc cut into six wedges)
fresh mint sprigs to serve

Whipped Feta

200 g soft creamy feta
90 g greek-style yoghurt

Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Cook the lamb, in 3 batches, tossing, for 4-5 minutes or until browned. Transfer to a plate.
Add the onion and dill stems to pan. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in the anchovies, garlic, oregano and coriander. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until aromatic.. Add the vinegar and cook, stirring and scraping the base, for 2-3 minutes or until almost evaporated. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Return the lamb to the pan with the tomatoes, tomato paste, chilli, bay leaves, honey and lemon rind strips. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, for 2 hours. Stir in the beans and olives. Cook for 10 minutes or until the lamb is tender.
Meanwhile, preheat a chargrill pan over high heat. Chargrill the pita bread for 2 minutes each side or until crisp.
To make the whipped feta, place feta in a bowl and use a fork to mash until smooth. Add yoghurt and mix with fork until well combined and almost smooth. Season with pepper.
Spoon chilli con carne into serving bowls and top with shipped feta, mint and reserved dill fronds. Serve with pita crisps and lemon wedges.

Sweet Potato Meringue Pie

Start this the day before required

250 g butternut biscuits
100 g butter (melted)
500 g sweet potato (peeled, cut into 3cm pieces)
375 ml can Carnation Creamy Evaporated Milk
2 eggs
100 g caster sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cloves

Italian Meringue

315 g caster sugar
4 egg whites (at room temperature)
large pinch of cream of tartar

Place the biscuits in a food processor and process until finely crushed. Add butter. Process until well combined. Press biscuit mixture over base and side of a 5cm-deep, round 24cm (base measurement) pie or ovenproof dish. Place in the fridge to chill.
Preheat oven to 160°c/140°c fan forced. Cook sweet potato in a saucepan of boiling water for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain, reserving 80ml of cooking liquid. Transfer the sweet potato and reserved liquid to the clean food processor. Process until smooth (you need about 425g puree). Transfer to a large bowl.
Add milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, ginger and cloves to puree. Use a balloon whisk to whisk until well combined. Pour over biscuit base. Bake for 1 hour or until filling is just set. Place in fridge overnight to chill.

Italian Meringue

To make meringue, stir sugar and 60ml water in a saucepan over low heat, brushing down the side of the pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals forming, until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high. Cook, without stirring, for 3-4 minutes or until the mixture reaches 115c (soft ball stage) on a sugar thermometer. While syrup continues to cook, use electric beaters with whisk attachment to whisk egg whites and cream of tartar in a bowl until soft peaks form. When syrup reaches 120°c (hard ball stage) and with beaters on low speed, gradually add syrup to egg shite mixture. Increase speed to high. Whisk for 10 minutes or until thick, glossy and cool.
Spoon meringue over chilled pie. Use a flat-bladed knife to make peaks. use a cook's blowtorch to caramelise the meringue. Serve.

Greek Chilli Con Carne & Sweet Potato Meringue Pie